Imbalance in Time
by supernova8610
Summary: A glitch is discovered at the rift in Cardiff; but it is found that the glitch is actually an imbalance, not just in the rift, but in time itself. And it is this imbalance that will have dire consequences for everyone, especially for the Doctor.
1. Prologue

**Story title:** Imbalance in Time

**Sequel to:** Donna Noble, Supertemp & Revelation of the Grove

**Summary:** A glitch is discovered at the rift in Cardiff; but upon further investigation, it's discovered that the glitch is actually an imbalance, not just in the rift, but in time itself. And it's this imbalance that will have dire consequences for all involved, especially for the Doctor.

**Rating: **T

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Prologue**

oOo

_He placed his hands inside his pockets and turned to face the group. "What I would suggest doing is mingling for a while among these oh so lovely campers. And what I mean by that is, make absolutely sure they are free of the Master's control. I don't want any dawdling; Rassilon knows I've had enough of that from previous companions. Anyway, once you're done, come straight back to the TARDIS, you hear?"_

"_Yes, Doctor," said Donna and Jamie._

"_Jenny?" The Doctor looked at her sternly._

"_I'm not going to run off," she complained, then added, "Yes, Dad."_

"_Good. Now, get to it!"_

_They obliged; however, they did not need to examine every single person, for it was soon clear that everyone was indeed free from the hypnosis. So, in light of that, Donna, Jenny, and Jamie went back inside the TARDIS; the Doctor followed behind, characteristically trying to avoid people's praise. As soon as he made sure everyone was in tip top shape, walked up to the console and took the TARDIS into the vortex._

oOo

"So, Jamie, where would you like to go?" the Doctor asked, turning around after twiddling a dial.

"Oi, wait a minute, why are you asking him and not us?" Donna asked, hands on hips.

"Because he's not my daughter and I'm not in a relationship with him," the Doctor replied. "And because he only agreed to come with us on a temporary basis, so I want to give him the option of going back to Oxford if he wants to. So," said the Doctor, drawing out the word 'so,' and turning to Jamie. "Jamie."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Where would you like to go? I know I only-"

"I heard everything you said to Donna," said Jamie.

"Oh. Right, then. Well…" the Doctor trailed off; he leaned against the console, crossing his arms as he did so. "What's the verdict?"

"I think I'd like to go back to Oxford, but only for a little while," Jamie said. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I want to pack up the things in my office."

"Really? What for?"

"I'd like to quit my teaching post at the university and focus on something else," said Jamie.

"Like what?" asked the Doctor, curious.

"Well, it's like this," Jamie began. "I love teaching, I really do, but working at Oxford is too boring compared to fighting aliens; and since I'm already old, I'd rather die doing something more exciting like fighting aliens, not die alone in my office, grading papers."

"So…" said Donna. "You want us to take you to Sarah Jane's house, yeah?"

Jamie nodded in confirmation. "If she doesn't mind."

"Oh, Sarah Jane? I'm sure she won't mind," said the Doctor confidently, waving his hand absentmindedly.

"So…can you take me there?"

"Will do, Jamie my boy!" said the Doctor. He turned back around and, happy-go-lucky as only he could be, the Doctor began twiddling dials and turning knobs on the console. Donna came up after a few seconds with the observation that the TARDIS wouldn't jolt around as much as usual if there were two people operating it. "But I like doing it by myself," was the ensuing protest.

"And the TARDIS was built for six flyers, not one or two," Donna countered. "And two is better than one."

"What about me?" Jenny asked, breaking away from her exploration of the console room.

"Oh right…" said the Doctor. "I'll um…have to teach you." Jenny grinned.

"Well, budge up, space man!" said Donna. "There's room enough here for the two of us."

Working side by side, while being observed by Jamie and Jenny, Donna and the Doctor brought the TARDIS to Oxford University, landing it directly in Jamie's office. The Doctor's reasoning for this was so that Jamie wouldn't have to walk the distance from the grove of trees all the way to his office, and then back again carrying a bunch of things; however, Donna believed that it was because he didn't want to walked through the whole building and risk being seen by Marianne, the receptionist who had a thing for him. She kept silent, though.

Once the TARDIS had landed, the Doctor followed Jamie out into Jamie's office; Donna and Jenny followed. It was decided that Jamie would go, by himself, to the head of Oxford to hand in his resignation; after Jamie left, the Doctor, Donna, and Jenny began packing up the things in Jamie's office. With three people working together, the packing went quickly; it was such that, when Jamie arrived back, nearly everything he wanted to bring with him had been placed in containers and stowed on board the TARDIS.

"Looks like you three've been busy," Jamie commented. "Need any help?"

"No, thanks; we've got it," the Doctor replied. He carried a newly-filled box and placed it just inside in the TARDIS. Stepping back, he took a look around the office. "So we've just got the two boxes that Donna and Jenny are filling up, then we can go. Sound good?"

"As good as ever," Jamie replied. "Speaking of which, I saw Marianne wandering the halls."

"Who's Marianne?" Jenny asked.

"Your dad's stalker," Donna replied.

"Stalker?" Jenny sounded surprised.

"Yes," said the Doctor, none too happy. He turned to Jamie, "Did you speak to her?"

Jamie nodded. "She asked me if I had seen a tall, slender, handsome man at all. She was wearing more make-up than I've ever seen before. Although it looked a little smeared, like she had been crying."

"Oh, really?" said Donna, sounding amused.

"Now, Donna, don't start," said the Doctor. "Did she say anything else?"

Jamie shook his head. "No."

"Good," the Doctor replied with a sigh. "The last thing I need is someone stalking me everywhere I go; I got enough of that from Jack when he tried to apologize, and when that happened, we ended up at the end of the universe. But anyway," he said, changing the subject, "you two done yet?"

"Just about," said Jenny. She put a paperweight into one of the boxes and straightened up. "There, all finished."

"Excellent," said the Doctor.

He walked over to Jenny's box, picked it up, then placed it down on Donna's box. He then bent down to pick up both boxes and carried them to the TARDIS; he had a hard time seeing where he was going, but with Jamie and Donna guiding him with verbal directions, he fared all right. Once the boxes had been placed inside the TARDIS, the group all went inside and closed the doors; then, it was off to Sarah Jane's house.

Sarah Jane was only too happy to accept Jamie into her home; she had Luke help the Doctor and Donna carry Jamie's things out of the TARDIS and into the living room, where it had landed. There was a guest room that Jamie would be able to move into. In the meantime, Sarah Jane introduced herself to Jenny, and the two talked quite animatedly while the others worked. Jenny gave Sarah Jane a run-down of how she had been "born" as the Doctor's daughter, and of everything that had happened since, up until she had run into her father again at the Grove.

"It sounds like you've had quite the time, haven't you?" Sarah Jane said.

"Oh, I have," Jenny replied, sipping some lemonade. Sarah Jane had given her and everyone else some just a few minutes previously. "Thanks for the lemonade, by the way; it's delicious."

"It's my pleasure," Sarah Jane replied, pleased. "So what are you going to do now, that you've been reunited with the Doctor?"

"The usual, at least for him. Traveling. Awful lot of running." Jenny smiled. "Love the running, though."

"I know what you mean; I did quite a lot of running when I traveled with your father," said Sarah Jane. "But I always had such an exhilarating time."

"That's the way of it, isn't it," said a voice rhetorically. Jenny and Sarah Jane turned around.

"Donna, you finished?" Sarah Jane asked. Donna nodded.

"Where's Dad?" Jenny asked.

Donna was about to answer when the Doctor appeared behind her, peering at Sarah Jane and Jenny over her shoulder. "Right here," he said. "Everything's put away, and Jamie is now getting settled in."

"I'm guessing that means you have to go?" said Sarah Jane.

The Doctor nodded. "Yup," he said, popping the 'p'.

"I wish you didn't have to, but that's the way of the TARDIS," Sarah Jane replied, hugging him. "It was good seeing you, Doctor."

"You too," the Doctor replied cheerfully.

"Don't be a stranger, now; you three can come back here anytime you wish," Sarah Jane said, breaking free of the hug.

"Wouldn't miss it," said the Doctor, smiling. "Good bye, Sarah Jane."

"Good bye, Doctor; for now, at least."

Smiling, and with a wave of his hand, the Doctor turned and walked back into the TARDIS, Donna and Jenny at his heels. Once they were inside, the Doctor took the TARDIS into the time vortex. He then turned around, leaning against the console, to gaze at his two traveling companions.

"Well, Jenny," he began.

"Well what?"

"I know I didn't have time to say it, but you have no idea how scared I was on Messaline, when I though you were gone," the Doctor replied. "And I hope I never have to go through that ever again; you can't imagine the pain I felt, losing you; it was like losing Gallifrey all over again."

"I'm sorry," Jenny replied.

"Don't be," said the Doctor; Jenny looked up at him and saw that he was smiling.

"Um… Are you going anywhere with this, Doctor?" Donna asked.

"Yes, and I was just getting to that," said the Doctor, still smiling. "You see, Jenny, the fact that you have two hearts and are still alive after being shot indicates that you have quite enough Time Lord energy in you. Enough, at least, considering the fact that you're a clone."

"Oi!"

"Sorry," the Doctor added quickly. "But considering you have the amount of Time Lord energy in you that you do, I was thinking we; well, you, could try something. It worked for Donna, and she didn't have nearly the amount of Time Lord energy that you do; all she had was the mind, not everything else, of a Time Lord."

"The Chameleon Arch," said Donna.

"Correct," the Doctor replied.

"Chameleon Arch?" Jenny asked, confused. "What's that?"

"It can turn a Time Lord into a human," the Doctor replied. "Or if a human has enough Time Lord in them, it will turn them into a Time Lord. But since you're technically already a Time Lord, but with a few missing ingredients, I think it'll be fairly safe."

"You want to turn me into a Time Lord," Jenny said.

"Add in the missing pieces," said the Doctor. "But yes, essentially; I want to turn you into a full Time Lord."

"Does it hurt?"

"Unfortunately, yes," said the Doctor. "And I'm afraid I don't have anything to block the pain, but you'll only have to go through this once."

"Jenny?" Donna asked. "How about it?"

Jenny thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"Ok, then," said the Doctor. "Follow me."

He led Jenny to where the Chameleon Arch was and hooked her up to it; the Doctor hated seeing anyone in pain, especially those he cared deeply about. Watching Donna on the Arch had been bad enough, but seeing his own daughter in such pain was a hundred times worse. Thankfully, however, it was soon over, and the Doctor was able to bring Jenny away from the Arch.

"Jenny?" Donna asked gently.

"Jenny, how are you feeling?" said the Doctor.

"Like I've been run over by a spaceship," she replied. "But otherwise, I'm fine."

Donna smiled. "Doctor, maybe she should rest up for a bit?"

"Good idea," the Doctor nodded. "Jenny, you can use my room until I have the TARDIS make one up for you, ok?"

Jenny nodded as she let the Doctor lead her. She was happy that she was finally back with her father, after having been separated on Messaline. Add that to the fact that she was now a Time Lord (well, Time _Lady_), and one would be able to say that Jenny wasn't only happy: she was ecstatic.


	2. The Bet

I'm sorry it took me two weeks to get this chapter out; I promise I'll get the next one out quicker!

oOo

**Chapter 1: The Bet**

oOo

It had been just a few months since the events at the Grove, in Sonoma County, California. Since that time, the relationship between the Doctor and his daughter had grown immensely, and the two were now was close as Donna and the Doctor were, though of course in a much different sense.

Jamie was no longer traveling with the group, as he had opted to stay with Sarah Jane after the last adventure. The Doctor, Donna, and Jenny heard back from him occasionally; whenever they did, they were pleased to hear that Jamie's relationship with Sarah Jane was growing closer ever so steadily. The two now interacted like very close friends, although, privately, Donna and Jenny had made a bet as to when Jamie and Sarah Jane would take the relationship a step further. Not that they had told the Doctor, however. It wasn't that the Doctor was averse to taking bets, because he was not, but not when it involved two of his former traveling companions and a relationship (or so Donna and Jenny believed).

At the moment, the Doctor was off someplace in the TARDIS; he had taken it into the vortex after the three had spent a day exploring the ancient Amazon rainforest. Donna and Jenny, who were in Donna's room, weren't sure where the Doctor had gone; perhaps to clean off. At one point during the day, some monkeys, believing the Doctor to have invaded their territory, had begun to fling their feces at him; not even a dip in the river (while avoiding the pirhannas) had been able to get rid of the smell. So Donna and Jenny assumed that the Doctor was attempting to get rid of whatever smell was left; there were all sorts of thing aboard the TARDIS for emergencies, and getting rid of bad smells was one of them.

In any case, since the Doctor was off in the TARDIS, Donna and Jenny were sitting on Donna's bed, swapping stories and laughing.

"So then I say to him: look, you can take me with you, but I ain't mating with you, you hear?" said Donna, trying to contain laughter.

"So what did Dad do?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, you know him; he looks at me, then completely shocked, he says, 'I want _a_ mate! _A _mate!"

Jenny laughed.

"I almost felt sorry for him," said Donna.

"I'll bet," Jenny replied.

"Speaking of bets," Donna said, lowering her voice; she wondered why she was lowering her voice since the Doctor was nowhere near (not to her knowledge, at least) and raised it to its normal level. "What about that one of ours?"

"What about it?" Jenny asked innocently.

"I was thinking we could, you know," Donna replied, "raise the stakes."

"Like how?"

"I know we already have money on it," Donna explained. "But I was thinking that we should give them another three weeks on top of what we already have."

"So we'd increase the time to seven weeks," said Jenny. "Ok. We could also make it so that, in addition to the loser TP-ing Dad's room, the loser also has to steal his clothes while he's in the shower and hide them."

Amazingly, the TARDIS did indeed have showers, although they were not in the same hall as the bedrooms; rather, they were one hall over. And anyone needing to get to the showers had to pass through the console room, which tended to be the most populated part of the TARDIS.

"Jenny!"

Jenny shrugged. "What? It sounded like a good idea."

"It is," said Donna. "I just didn't think you'd be willing to do that to your own father."

Jenny shrugged, looking none too concerned; that calm exterior, however, turned to one of panic, when she and Donna heard a voice from the doorway saying, "Neither did I."

Jenny and Donna whipped around and saw the Doctor, leaning ever so casually, against the now fully-opened doorway. He was gazing at them, eyes scrutinizing, arms crossed and folded over his chest.

"Oi, space man, didn't anyone tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?" Donna scolded.

The Doctor shrugged. "When have you known me to do that?" He asked innocently.

Donna raised her eyebrow.

"How long have you been there?" Jenny asked.

"Where?" the Doctor asked. "Oh! You mean eavesdropping. Eh, not long. But long enough to hear that you two are continuing this bet."

"You don't look very angry," Donna remarked.

"That's because I'm not," said the Doctor. "While Jamie and Sarah Jane are old friends, I am not averse to betting against them or anyone else."

"So what is it you want?" Jenny asked suspiciously.

"Oi, easy there, Jenny," said the Doctor. "I'm not going to stop you from having your fun. I want in."

"Why?"

Ignoring Jenny's question, the Doctor continued. "I want the winner to decide which person's clothes the loser has to steal; no one's room is going to be TP'ed. I'd also like to add money into the bet. Let's say… oh… ten quid?"

"_Twenty_ quid," Jenny said.

"Twenty-five," said the Doctor.

"Make it thirty," said Donna.

"Thirty is a hefty sum of quid, Donna Noble. Are you sure you're up to the task?" the Doctor asked her innocently.

Eyes narrow, Donna replied, "Are you sure _you're_ up to the task?"

"Me?" asked the Doctor, feigning offense. "I'm over nine hundred years old. I've passed through battles and mayhem and survived. I've battled aliens from distant planets and triumphed. And you ask me if _I'm_ up to the task?"

"Are you?" Jenny asked.

Straightening up and immediately changing his tone to one of sure-mindedness, he replied. "Of course. So, thirty quid it is, and the winner gets to decide who the loser steals the clothes from. Or possibly the loser is the one who has the clothes stolen, but we can work that out when we come to it."

"All right, then, space man, it's a deal," said Donna. "Shake on it?"

"Don't need to. My word is enough."

Donna rolled her eyes, then asked, "Is there anything else you wanted?"

The Doctor stared at her, wide-eyed, a picture of innocence. "Whatever makes you think I wanted something else?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jenny started, somewhat sarcastically. "Maybe the fact that you were standing at the door eavesdropping on us."

"Oh all right, have it your way." The Doctor sighed melodramatically. "I was only wanting to know if you two wanted to come to this one place I was thinking of. You'd probably like it. It's called Barcelona. No," he said, stalling any interruptions that had been about to take place, "not the city Barcelona, the _planet_ Barcelona."

"What's it got on it, then?" Donna asked.

"Noseless dogs."

"Noseless _what?_"

"Just kidding." The Doctor grinned. "It's like the city Barcelona, only an entire planet. Meaning, it's got all kinds of gorgeous Spanish architecture, food, and culture, just like the city. The planet's inhabitants, just when the planet had been discovered, went to Earth and liked the city Barcelona so much that they copied it on an entire planet. You've got to go there." He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, acting just like a little boy who had been told that Christmas had come early. "Come on. What do you say?"

"Should we?" Donna asked Jenny.

"Might be fun," Jenny replied.

"Aw, come on you two; I'd rather you were fighting," the Doctor complained.

"We're not even ganging up on you, Doctor," said Donna. She was, of course, referencing the time she and Martha met for the first time; there, they had discussed the Doctor, and how if someone hugged him, they would get a papercut.

"Yeah, yeah," said the Doctor dismissively. "Do you want to? It'll be fun." He grinned boyishly.

"Oh all right, then," said Donna. "Let's go to Barcelona!"

"Barcelona it is!" The Doctor shouted triumphantly. He then added, in a business-like manner, "Ladies, if you please, I will escort you to the console room. No funny business on the way there, either; I know how you two can get."

"Take all the fun out of it, time boy," Donna muttered; she was, however, joking, as the smile indicated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor replied cheerfully, turning to grin at his two companions.

Donna and Jenny followed the Doctor down the hall; once they reached the console room, they sat down on the seat in front of all the controls while the Doctor set to work, turning dials and flipping a switch every now and then. As she watched the Doctor, moving around the console in a kind of dance, Donna sighed.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor stopped momentarily, hands still on the console, and looked at her. "What?"

"Would you like Jenny and I to help?"

"No, that won't be necessary," he replied, returning to work.

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Donna stood up and began to assist.

"Donna, I-"

Donna half-glared at him. "Jenny and I are Time Lords, too- well, Time _Ladies_- and we both know how to operate the TARDIS just as well as you do, if not better." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Well, we do! Don't forget that fact; you don't need to keep on doing everything by yourself."

"She's right, Dad," Jenny piped in.

The Doctor sighed. "Oh, all right," he said. "But mind you don't mess anything up; I've been with this TARDIS for nine hundred years, give or take a decade or two."

"What about the time when six people were helping you to pilot the TARDIS after the Crucible, eh?" Donna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"All right, you win," the Doctor said with a grin. "I just don't want my ladies to get tired out."

"Implying _what_ exactly?" Donna asked with narrow eyes.

"Nothing," the Doctor replied innocently, wisely uttering nothing more.

"We'll be careful," Jenny told him. The Doctor grinned at her and turned back to the console.

As they assisted him, Donna leaned toward Jenny and whispered, "You'd think he was having a love affair with this ship."

Jenny snickered. "He does have more affection for it than one would think necessary."

"Oi! I heard that!"

"Sorry," Donna and Jenny replied, not meaning it at all.

Usually when traveling through the vortex, one could detect the TARDIS's movement, if they concentrated on it, of a vibration flowing through and around every part of the ship. Since that movement was no more for the time being, replaced instead by a sudden stillness, the only explanation was that they had landed.

"Ah, there we are!" the Doctor said triumphantly. He pressed a button on the console that would allow them to see what their surroundings were on the small television screen. "Beautiful!"

And it was. From their vantage point, the three time travelers could see what looked like both ancient and modern Spanish architecture, punctuated by trees swaying in the wind, and people walking up and down the road. The only indication they had landed on another planet was the flying cars zooming through the air and the occasional alien mixed in with the crowd.

The Doctor smiled enthusiastically. "What say we go check out Barcelona, eh?"

"Let's go!" Jenny chirped happily.

So the Doctor, smiling more broadly, led his two companions to the TARDIS doors and outside into the Barcelona atmosphere.


	3. Earl

**Chapter 2: Earl**

oOo

_From their vantage point, the three time travelers could see what looked like both ancient and modern Spanish architecture, punctuated by trees swaying in the wind, and people walking up and down the road. The only indication they had landed on another planet was the flying cars zooming through the air and the occasional alien mixed in with the crowd._

_The Doctor smiled enthusiastically. "What say we go check out Barcelona, eh?"_

"_Let's go!" Jenny chirped happily._

_So the Doctor, smiling more broadly, led his two companions to the TARDIS doors and outside into the Barcelona atmosphere._

oOo

"Ah, just feel that breeze!" the Doctor exclaimed. He stood outside the TARDIS and stretched his arms out, face upward toward the sky.

Donna and Jenny took the chance to take a look at their surroundings. The TARDIS had landed in what was a city square, surrounded by shops and a small park, and it was crowded with both people and aliens; although since they weren't originally from Barcelona, Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor could also technically be considered aliens. Or, perhaps, Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor could consider everyone else on Barcelona to be the aliens. But no matter. Nobody seemed to notice them since they were by the TARDIS, due mainly to the TARDIS's perception filter; however, as soon as the Doctor closed the door and the group stepped away from the time traveling space ship, they were greeted by a jovial sounding voice.

"Good morning!"

Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor looked around, and saw a rather plump alien walking (or rather, gliding) toward them. He (or at least, they thought it was a he); spoke with a deep voice that was somewhat masculine, but also contained a hint of femininity. He (or it) was a deep purple color with large white splotches and a mop of rusty-red hair that looked like linguini noodles. He was wearing a suit with a nametag; the Doctor's first impression was that this alien was a businessman (well, business_alien,_ technically) or a banker.

"Good afternoon," the Doctor greeted back. He then inquired, "Is that a name tag?"

"Rude," Donna muttered. The Doctor chose to ignore her.

"M'name is Earl," said the alien. "Short for Earlsonittakeropoly."

"My, such a mouthful," Donna exclaimed.

"Donna, don't be rude," the Doctor said to her in a voice only she could hear.

"Oi, that's a bit rich, coming from you!" But the Doctor, again, ignored her.

"Yes, it is quite a lot to say in one breath," said Earl. "Which is why everyone just addresses me as Earl. My full name is only used on special occasions."

By now Earl had reached them, and they could see, or at least it was indicated, that Earl was telling the truth when he said that his full name was only used for certain occasions; all it said on the name tag was '_Earl, CEO_'.

"It's nice to meet you, Earl," said the Doctor. "This here is my significant other, Donna, and my daughter, Jenny. And I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor who?"

"No; just the Doctor," the Doctor replied.

"Hm," said the Alien approvingly. He gaze wandered over to Jenny. "So when he said daughter, did he mean bastard child?"

"OI!" The Doctor, who had shouted, looked indignant.

"Oh no, sir," said Earl. "I did not mean any offense. The use of the term 'bastard child' is perfectly acceptable here on Barcelona. It's basically the same as wishing someone a good evening, or a warm hello."

"Must be one of those weird cultural things," Donna whispered in the Doctor's ear.

"So I take it you're a businessman, then," said the Doctor conversationally, very much wanting to change the subject.

"What? Oh. Yes, I am," said Earl. He was caught slightly off-guard by the change of subject, but figured that these aliens meant well enough. "I am the chief executive officer of a large business firm here on Barcelona. I was just on my way to work when I saw you, and thought I'd say hello."

"You aliens seem very friendly," Donna remarked.

"We try to be, toward those we also consider alien," Earl replied. "If you like, you can accompany me to my office building. On the way, I can point out places of interest, if you wish."

"Thank you," said the Doctor cheerfully. "That would be lovely."

So Earl led the group out of the square (which was getting more crowded by the minute) and down an emptier sidewalk, past more shops. As they walked, Jenny gazed at the cars flying (quite literally) over the road beside them. They looked almost exactly like Earth cars, except for the fact that they did not have wheels; instead, there were wings on each side: two three-foot long wings up front, by the hood, and two five-foot long wings just by the trunk; on the larger ones were what looked like two jet-engines each, one smaller and one larger. Jenny briefly wondered how they would be able to park inside a garage, but then noticed that the wings had indentations in them, indicating that they could be folded up. Her thoughts were interrupted when Earl gave a loud laugh at something the Doctor had said.

"Well," said Earl, chuckling, "you certainly seem like an interesting type."

"He is," Donna confirmed.

"What's going on?" Jenny asked, confused.

"Hm?" said Earl. "Oh. Your father was just telling me about the time he-" But he was laughing so much he couldn't finish. Jenny looked inquiringly at the Doctor.

"It's nothing," the Doctor told her.

"Come on, _Dad_, you can tell her," said Donna, nudging him with her elbow.

"Please?" Jenny begged.

"Or I will," said Donna, smiling sweetly.

"Donna, I don't want to be a bad influence on her."

"But why?" Jenny asked.

"I supposed if he told you that, he'd have to tell you what he was saying to Earl," Donna observed.

"Quite right," said the Doctor. "And in any case-"

The Doctor didn't get to finish his train of thought, however, for Earl had just pointed out a rather old-looking cathedral made of what looked like stone with large wooden doors inlaid with stained glass windows, as well as several spires and turrets, and was saying something about it.

"Now this here is an exact replica, just as most everything else here on Barcelona, from a cathedral in the planet's namesake city on Earth; unlike the city's cathedral, which is Catholic, however, the planet's cathedral is mostly used as a combination of all kinds of religions from all over the universe."

"What kinds of religions?" Jenny asked, curious.

Earl shrugged. "I'm not sure, exactly; all I know is that it's a mix. I don't go here myself, so I'm afraid I can't tell you anything specific."

"That's a load of help," Donna muttered under her breath.

"Donna," said the Doctor imploringly, "be nice."

"I was just making a comment," Donna began to protest, but then decided against it. "Oh, never mind."

The group talked a bit more about the cathedral, they moved on past more buildings and shops, all of which were very uninteresting. After Earl had led Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor for about two hundred yards, he stopped suddenly, nearly causing Donna to run into him.

"Oi!"

Earl turned and, realizing what happened, apologized profusely. "I am so terribly sorry; my humblest apologies to you! I do hope you can forgive me for my thoughtlessness, Donna.

"It's ok," Donna answered. "You just…startled me."

"My apologies," said Earl, bowing his head.

There was a moment of silence, broken only when Jenny said, "Do you have something else to show us?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I do," said Earl. "That's the reason I stopped. I wanted to show you this building here." And he pointed to a structured across the street from them.

"Spiffy looking," Donna commented.

"Spiffy?" Jenny asked.

"Sort of like posh, but more hip," the Doctor explained. "I think."

Donna rolled her eyes.

"And here I was, thinking you were supposed to be clever."

"I am," the Doctor replied.

"So what's with the 'I think', eh? Losing your groove, space man?"

"Oi! Even the best of us have our moments."

"Especially when you get older," Jenny piped in.

"Oi! Respect your elders."

"You don't tell _her_ to respect her elders," Jenny said in reference to Donna.

"That's because she's not my daughter; you are," the Doctor replied.

"All right, that's enough you two," Donna interrupted. "Let's pay attention to Earl, eh? Before he runs off and leaves us here?"

Indeed, Earl did look like he wanted to leave; he looked somewhat uncomfortable and the Doctor felt sorry for him. But only a little bit.

"Sorry, Earl," said the Doctor cheerfully.

Earl perked up. "Quite all right," he said, pretending as though nothing had happened. "Anyway, I had just pointed out this building when your spat started."

"Rude," Donna muttered under her breath, but no one heard her.

The building she had called "spiffy" was indeed an apt word for it. The round building looked as though it were made up of thousands upon thousands of shiny mirrors, with the building's surroundings reflected on all sides. There was a line of like-mirrored triangular spikes in top of the buildings, which ran down either side, making it look rather like a silver sun with the world reflected in its rays.

"What's this then?" Jenny asked.

"Doesn't look like anything I've ever seen in Barcelona, the city," said the Doctor. He squinted his eyes due to the brightness of the sun's rays hitting the mirrors. "Then again, it's been a while since I've been to Barcelona, the city."

"Oh, I don't believe this is in the city," said Earl. "We've input some architecture from other planets as well, but only a little bit. Can't have this planet too alien, eh? Eh?" Earl grinned and bounced on his feet, obviously waiting for someone to laugh at his little joke. When nobody did, his face fell and Earl was reduced to shuffling his feet awkwardly.

Jenny, a little unsure, stole a glance at her father, who shrugged. The Doctor believed it to be a quirk that some people just happen to have, telling jokes with a painfully obvious punch-line. Donna just thought it was weird and regarded Earl with an appraising eye, as though assessing his interpersonal communication skills.

"Anyway," Earl began after the uncomfortable silence. "Shall we move on then?"

"After you," said the Doctor, and after Earl had passed him, he, Donna, and Jenny followed the alien down the street, listening as they were told about all the wondrous buildings which may or may not have been copied from Barcelona the city.

Earl's behavior became more and more desperate-to-be-liked, and the jokes cornier and cornier, so that by the time Earl had reached his workplace, Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor were only too glad to be rid of him. Of course, they put up a façade of being sorry that they had to depart, but as soon as Earl had entered the building where he worked, Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.


	4. The Call

I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to update my fic! It's my last semester of college and I'm graduating next month, so I've been really busy with homework, writing papers, and studying for my classes (here's to hoping it will all pay off). I hope you can forgive me!

oOoOoOo

**Chapter 3: The Call**

oOo

"_Anyway," Earl began after the uncomfortable silence. "Shall we move on then?"_

"_After you," said the Doctor, and after Earl had passed him, he, Donna, and Jenny followed the alien down the street, listening as they were told about all the wondrous buildings which may or may not have been copied from Barcelona the city._

_Earl's behavior became more and more desperate-to-be-liked, and the jokes cornier and cornier, so that by the time Earl had reached his workplace, Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor were only too glad to be rid of him. Of course, they put up a façade of being sorry that they had to depart, but as soon as Earl had entered the building where he worked, Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief._

oOo

"Blimey! If he isn't the most-" The Doctor, running his hand through his hair in couldn't find the right word.

"Annoying?" Donna assisted. "Pathetic?"

"Pick your choice," the Doctor replied.

"I'm glad not all aliens are like that," Jenny commented.

"So am I, Jenny," said Donna.

She snuck a glance at the Doctor, who noticed and said, "And who are you staring at, Miss Noble?"

"I wasn't _staring_ at anyone," Donna replied. "I was _glancing_."

"Technicality," the Doctor said simply.

"It may involve eye movement, space man, but there is a big difference between staring and glancing. For one, staring lasts longer than glancing."

"Have it your way, Earth girl," the Doctor retorted. He rolled his eyes when Donna stuck her tongue out at him.

Jenny decided to intervene before Donna and the Doctor became much more distracted. "Since Earl's gone, what are we going to do now?"

"Well, Jenny," the Doctor began. He put his right arm around her shoulders and looked down at her. "We are going to explore. Sight see until our legs start wobbling from tiredness. We are going to have a day full of fun and adventure, like we always do. And hopefully run into some fun mystery to solve at the end of it. Eh?" He grinned like a child at Christmas.

"What say you, Jenny?" Donna asked. She smiled at the Doctor's antics.

"I'm all for it," Jenny replied. "Maybe there's a pub nearby where we can get directions…" She trailed off at the Doctor's expression. "What's wrong?"

"No way is my daughter going inside a foreign pub," he responded. "There's no telling what kind of alien clientele you'll find. Not safe."

"Dad, I'm not a child, I can handle myself. I did come from _you_, you know."

"I know, and that's what worries me. I know I get into all kinds of trouble, and considering you're quite literally my flesh and blood, I can just imagine what you'll get into."

"But she isn't you," said Donna. She added innocently, "_Dad_."

The Doctor gave her a look. "Why is it you women always gang up on me?"

"We only do it when you're wrong," Donna replied.

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor said, "Ok, fine, suit yourself. But if we go to a pub for directions, _I _will be the one to go inside; you will wait outside, is that clear?"

"Crystal," said Jenny.

"Excellent!" was the now-cheerful reply. Jenny rolled her eyes.

Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor had quite the time on Barcelona; they spotted Earl around lunchtime when they stopped at a café to get something to eat. It was a lovely little café, as Donna described it, and had shining pale red counters and black and white checkered flooring. The tables were of the same red as the counters, but the plush seats were a sparkling silver color. Donna thought it looked like a badly put-together 1950's diner, and mentioned as much.

"Donna, remember," said the Doctor, "with an alien planet you're bound to get inaccuracies when implementing cultures and such from other planets."

"No really, space man?" Donna responded sarcastically. "I spent who knows how long traveling with you, I can certainly see how I wouldn't know about inaccuracies on other planets."

The Doctor glanced at her. "Sorry."

He spotted an empty table, so he, Donna, and Jenny went to it. As soon as they sat down, a waitress with blond curls came to take their orders; once she had left, Jenny's eyes went wide.

"Jenny? What is it?" Donna looked at her with concern.

"It's Earl!" Jenny replied.

"Stay calm and don't draw attention to yourselves," said the Doctor. Surreptitiously he turned, trying to get a good eye on Earl's position. He reported, "Looks like our friend is here to meet a business partner. Or not." For Earl had just glided out, looking sad. "Wonder what's up with him?"

"Maybe he's looking for us," said Jenny.

"Why would he be looking for us?" Donna asked. "We're just tourists, not Earl's lifelong friends. And don't start on me again about differences between alien planets and cultures," she added to the Doctor.

"I wasn't going to," he replied. He sighed. "Anyway, he might not be looking for us necessarily, but it looked as though he was looking for someone at least. But that doesn't matter to us," said the Doctor. "We're going to put that behind us and focus on what's to come."

"Speaking of what's coming," Donna nodded slightly in one direction.

Jenny and the Doctor turned and saw the waitress carrying their food and drinks; she set it down on the table and took the credit stick the Doctor handed to her.

"Thank you, sir," said the waitress. She scanned the credit stick and there was a beeping sound as the used credits were taken away; after it was finished, she gave it back. "Enjoy your meal," she said. Donna and the Doctor watched as she walked away.

"What is it, Doctor?" Donna asked him. She had noticed the rather sad expression on his face.

"She reminds me of someone I met," said the Doctor. "Just before I was reunited with you. It was on a spaceship one Christmas Eve. But no sadness for now," he said, returning with dizzying speed to his normal happy-go-lucky self, "we are going to focus on fun, just like I said."

After they had all eaten, Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor went on a tour of some of the more ancient looking buildings in their immediate area; they did not want to stray too far from the TARDIS.

All in all, the three time-travelers had a rather enjoyable day. They did not run into Earl again, although they did talk with some of Earl's colleagues at a recreation of the leaning tower of Pisa. There was some argument about why that particular tower had been placed on Barcelona, being that it was from Italy, not Spain; in the end, Earl's colleagues quite enjoyed how annoyed Donna became at the inaccuracy, while the Doctor looked on in amusement. Jenny, never having been to Earth before, was on the point of agreeing with Earl's colleagues when she caught her father's eye.

"Don't let it on to Donna," he whispered in her ear. "She'll skewer you."

Jenny nodded in agreement.

When he thought Donna could not take it anymore, the Doctor decided that it was high time to interrupt and change the subject; Donna looked like she was on the verge of shouting at the aliens (not that she didn't normally shout when her temper flared up, but she was trying to behave herself on this on occasion, and had so far done remarkably well).

"So how's Earl doing?" the Doctor asked, giving no indication of his now negative opinion of the alien.

"Ok," one of the aliens shrugged. "He seemed depressed about something when he got into work this morning."

"Couldn't be his partner, though, could it?" another alien said.

"Possibly," said a third alien. "They've been going through some rough spots; last I heard, they were on the verge of breaking up."

Guilt settled itself nicely at the pit of Donna's, the Doctor's, and Jenny's stomachs.

"No wonder he was acting oddly," Jenny whispered to Donna so that only she could hear.

"It's true," the second alien was saying. "I mean, the bloke does have periods of happiness like his normal self, but then he has bouts of depression and goes all crazy-like."

"Like how?" the Doctor inquired.

"He starts rambling about things, going off on tangents," the second alien replied.

"But if anyone is with Earl when he gets like that, watch out," said the third alien. "You're lucky you got away from him when you did. Earl's been known to practically stalk anyone if they're really nice and with him long enough during one of his bouts. In his mind, those people automatically become his best friend and confidant. He clings on like a lost puppy."

"That's so sad," Jenny said.

"At first, maybe," said the second alien. "But it gets very annoying after a little while."

"Yeah," Donna mentioned. "Started getting on our nerves after a bit."

"Now, Donna, I'm sure with some serious therapy (because Earl's behavior isn't going to change easily), he will be as right as rain," said the Doctor. "Although I'll leave it up to you fine gentlemen to do that, if you see fit. You've known him longer than I have, so you'd have a better feel for what Earl would respond to."

"True," said the first alien. He had been listening eagerly (if eagerly it could be called) to the entire conversation.

"Good idea," said the second alien. "I hadn't thought of therapy." He looked at his watch. "Well, its about time we get going. We get two breaks during the day: lunch and a short siesta. Earl will come out looking for us if we take to long in getting back."

"Don't let us stop you, then," the Doctor cheerfully replied.

He, Donna, and Jenny gave them a cheery farewell, then turned to each other to decide what course of action to take next. Since it was late afternoon and Donna and Jenny were feeling worn out from walking around all day, it was decided that they would all go back to the TARDIS. There they would relax and rest up a bit before venturing back out onto Barcelona. Or possibly, they would take the TARDIS to a different section of Barcelona; but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Once they entered the TARDIS, Donna and Jenny sat down and relaxed on the seat by the console while the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver. He knelt down and took up one of the metal planks, pulling it clean from its position and exposing the wires and other assorted TARDIS machinery. After placing the plank to the side with a _clang_, the Doctor turn the screwdriver on and began intermittently turning it on and off.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, Jenny?"

"What are you doing?"

"Looks like he's fixing something." Donna said.

"Something like that," the Doctor replied confidently. "I noticed this old girl seems to be wheezing and groaning a bit more than usual whenever I take her into the vortex, so I'm just taking apart some of the wiring, and placing the parted wires with other wires, not the ones they were parted with, and then melding them back together with my handy-dandy sonic screwdriver."

Donna and Jenny stared at him.

"Blimey, and here I thought you were supposed to be Time Lords. Well, Ladies," said the Doctor. "Superior intellect and all that. Not that other people don't, they just have it in a different way. That's what makes this universe so amazing- there are so many unique aspects to it. But I'm getting off track." He stood up and gazed at Donna and Jenny. "I'm just doing some basic maintenance. Same way humans on earth have to maintain their cars to keep them running in tip-top shape."

"Are you finished?" Jenny asked.

"Just about!" the Doctor declared. He picked up the metal paneling and placed it back into its original position. Straightening up again, he wiped his hands on his trousers and placed the screwdriver in an inside pocket of his jacket. He smiled at his two favorite females. "Well, shall we go to another part of Barcelona, or do you want to stay inside the TARDIS for a bit more?"

Donna was on the point of answering when the Doctor's mobile rang.

The Doctor fished the mobile from his jacket pocket and looked at the caller ID; he flipped it open and placed the phone to his ear.

"Jack," was all he said, although the Doctor said it in such a way as to imply he was inquiring about either Jack's or Torchwood's well-being. Donna and Jenny could not hear what was being said on the other end of the line; but whatever Jack was saying, they could tell it wasn't all happy tales and fun times, for the Doctor's face, which before had been cheerful, became serious and alert.

"Dad?"

"Doctor?"

"Right," said the Doctor into the phone. "We'll be right there." And so saying, he hung up the mobile, placed it back in his pocket, and rushed to the console without delay.


	5. Arrival

**Chapter 4: Arrival**

oOo

_The Doctor fished the mobile from his jacket pocket and looked at the caller ID; he flipped it open and placed the phone to his ear._

"_Jack," was all he said, although the Doctor said it in such a way as to imply he was inquiring about either Jack's or Torchwood's well-being. Donna and Jenny could not hear what was being said on the other end of the line; but whatever Jack was saying, they could tell it wasn't all happy tales and fun times, for the Doctor's face, which before had been cheerful, became serious and alert._

"_Dad?"_

"_Doctor?" _

"_Right," said the Doctor into the phone. "We'll be right there." And so saying, he hung up the mobile, placed it back in his pocket, and rushed to the console without delay._

oOo

"Doctor, what's going on?" Donna asked. "Why was Captain Jack calling?"

The Doctor replied, "Something has come up, and the only way Torchwood can solve it is with my- our- help. He wouldn't give me all the details- said he'd rather tell us everything in person- but what he did say was of the utmost importance." He glanced up at Jenny and Donna. "I hate to cut our vacation short-"

Donna interrupted him. "Doctor, we don't care. Just do whatever you have to do to save the universe. Rest and relaxation can come later."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Jenny agreed.

The Doctor grinned and started up the console.

With the usual wheezing and groaning sounds accompanying any movement of the TARDIS through time and space, the Doctor brought his transportation directly into the hub of Torchwood, as he had done more than once before. Again, as before, Jack and the rest of the crew were there to greet the TARDIS, although they weren't wearing the looks of either surprise or confused as they had done in the past; this time, they looked expectant, serious. The moment the Doctor, Donna, and Jenny crossed the TARDIS threshold into the hub, the Doctor spoke.

"Good to see you, Jack; although I wish it were under better circumstances."

"My words exactly," Jack replied. He glanced at Donna and Jenny. "Do they know what's going on?"

"No," Donna answered simply.

"There wasn't time," the Doctor replied. "I had to get here as quick as I could." The fact that he could have told them, then time-traveled, had escaped him.

"Right. Well, we haven't got time to give everyone the back story; so, Donna, Jenny, you two will have to make do with what you learn right here, right now." Jack looked at them. "Can you handle that?"

"You dumbo, of course we can handle it!"

"Donna, now's not the time," the Doctor groaned.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, Jack, tell me what's been happening." The Doctor put on his glasses and grinned enthusiastically, as he always did at the start of a mission.

Jack gave the Doctor an odd look, then continued, "You already know about the rift imbalance. My team detected it this morning and did some preliminary scans; the imbalance is the result of some kind of glitch, though we don't know what."

Gwen, who was nearby, said, "We double scanned it, just to make sure it wasn't an error."

"Did the data readings confirm it?" asked the Doctor. Gwen nodded.

"Martha is doing a further scan of it now, just to dig a bit deeper and, hopefully, find out what all this is about," said Jack.

"I can help the process along," said the Doctor. He wasn't asking permission. As soon as he said it, he disappeared inside the TARDIS; the sounds of tinkering could be heard within. The Doctor's voiced drifted into the hub, "I have Time Lord technology that you don't have, so I'll be able to come up with something more accurate. I hope."

After a few minutes, Jack and Donna peeked inside the open doors of the TARDIS; they caught a glimpse of the Doctor staring intently at a computer screen on the console and typing away on a keyboard.

"Found anything, Doctor? We haven't got all day, you know," said Jack.

"I know, I know," the Doctor mumbled. He typed a few more keys then said to himself, although it carried into the hub, "There we are." He headed back toward his two companions and the Torchwood crew.

"So what did you find out, Doctor? Since apparently you didn't think Torchwood was good enough."

The Doctor at him seriously. "Jack, I've never thought Torchwood was good enough. It was founded on alien slaughter. The only reason I put up with it now is because someone I trust is heading it, and I know you won't let anyone or anything come to harm if you can help it."

"I feel honored," Jack replied, although he said it in a tone that might have been sarcastic. "But enough of the sentimentality; what did you find out?"

"That the imbalance at the rift isn't just any old glitch; it's an imbalance in time, but not just at the rift."

"What's that mean?" Jenny asked.

"It means, Jenny, that there is an imbalance in time and the entire universe is at stake. I did the scans, and it indicated imbalances almost everywhere. These imbalances are like a crack in the very fabric of time. They're not strong enough to be noticeable, at least not yet. But something is causing them to widen and fracture, and that is not good; if we let this keep up, then we'll have people and cultures from all different time periods, from all the planets in the universe, colliding with each other. It'll cause chaos and destruction."

"Did you find out where all this originated?" Jenny asked. "Because everything in the universe has to have a point of origin."

The Doctor shook his head. He turned to Jack and asked, "Is Martha still looking into it?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah." He raised his voice. "Martha, found anything yet?"

Martha, who was at one of the computer screens a short distance away, replied, "Yeah."

"What did you find?" the Doctor asked.

"That, like you said, there's an imbalance in time; it's malfunctioning, somehow. One of its main focus points is at the rift here in Cardiff."

"And by focus…?"

"One of the first places where the imbalances began occurring."

"Well, if it's one place where it began, then we'd just have to compare it to the other places where the imbalances started," said Jenny. "Then from there we can start ruling out criteria and, hopefully, find out how all of this started."

"Brilliant!" Jack declared. "She's a smart one, Doctor."

"She's also my daughter." The Doctor gave a significant look at Jack, who raised his hands in defense.

"No harm meant, it was just a compliment."

"Yeah, well…" The Doctor paused. "Martha, you said there had been other places. What are they?"

"Well, there's only one other place, actually," Martha said.

"Where is it?"

Martha looked at him, almost sympathetically. She replied, "In the constellation of Kasterborous."

If the Doctor was shocked, he didn't show it. Instead, he muttered to himself, "The Seven Systems…"

"Wait… Doctor," Jack said suddenly. "The Seven Systems. I remember you mentioning that when you, Martha and I were on the run from that nutter, the Master. You mentioned the Shining World of the Seven Systems. Is there where Gallifrey is located?"

"Gallifrey _is_ the Shining World," said the Doctor quietly. "But yes, the Kasterborous is where it used to be."

"Oh my…" Donna didn't finish the sentence. "How severe is it? The imbalance, I mean."

"From the looks of it, pretty bad," Jack replied.

"Because at the rate this thing is going," the Doctor interjected, "the time war will break free of the time lock, and the results will destroy the entire universe."

"Like Davros tried to do," said Jack.

"Right."

"But wait; I thought you said it was impossible?"

"I thought it was," said the Doctor. "But I was wrong. And as much as I would love for Gallifrey to be brought back, I can't."

"One of those fixed point in time things, then, yeah?" Donna asked. The Doctor nodded.

"Well, we know it isn't a fluke," said Martha. "Nothing of this magnitude would be; someone had to have started this deliberately."

Everyone stared at her for a moment; most intently, the Doctor. No one said anything, for they were all thinking of what, or who, could have even thought to have done something like this. And they were all wondering _why_. Why would anyone cause an imbalance in time? What purpose would it serve? What was their motivation? What was their _goal?_ Neither the TARDIS nor Torchwood crew knew; and they knew that it was a mystery that _needed_ to be solved, for the entire universe was at stake. And it needed to be done as soon as was humanly possible.

"Maybe it was another Time Lord who caused the imbalance," Donna theorized.

"That's impossible," said the Doctor. "Us three; you, me, and Jenny, we're the only ones in existence."

Donna and Jenny gave him a look.

"What?" said the Doctor.

"You know, I think age must be catching up with him," said Donna to Jenny. "His memory is starting to go."

"Are you referring to what I think you're referring to?" Jack asked. He and the rest of Torchwood had been informed of the events at the Grove.

Donna nodded.

"Referring to what?" the Doctor asked, still clueless. True, he did get like this on occasion, but sometimes it could be a little annoying.

"The Master, Dad," said Jenny. "Remember he escaped? How do we know it isn't him?"

"Sounds like something he'd do," Jack remarked. "To get back at you for what happened."

"But…" The Doctor was at a loss. "But I know the Master. He would never to anything to destroy me if it meant destroying himself in the process. So instead of destroying all the universes, like Davros…"

"Maybe he's just aiming to destroy this one; the one you hold most dear," Martha said.

"But for something like this…" the Doctor ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end. "For this, if it's him, he can't be doing it alone. He has cunning, true, but not nearly enough to pull something like this off, to involve Gallifrey."

"And whoever it is, they have to have been the same person who brought the Master back with the time ring," said Donna. "So maybe the Master is repaying a favor, and in turn, he gets something in the process?"

"It's possible," said the Doctor, "and the only way to do it in the first place was to bring the Master back, then team up to accomplish their different goals, but through the same means."

No one said what the goal in question was, but they all had a feeling as to what it might be.

"But _who?!_" the Doctor suddenly shouted. Everyone jumped. "I'm so thick; I need a bigger head so I can _think!_ _Who_ could this other person be?" No one replied.

"Wait, Doctor," said Jack suddenly. "Before Gallifrey was destroyed… was there anyone at all who had some kind of grudge against the Time Lords? Someone who had done something so bad that caused your leaders to excommunicate them? Because if there is someone, maybe they still harbor a grudge. And like you said, maybe this other person and the Master both want different things, but there's a common path they have to take in order to get there?"

The Doctor was silent.

"Doctor?" Martha asked. "Can you think of anyone?"

After a moment, the Doctor nodded. Yes, there was someone he could think of. But he hoped he was wrong.


	6. The Scientist

**Note: **I've had this fic planned out since the summer, so any parallels you see between it and The End of Time are purely coincidental.

Also, who else here misses David Tennant's Doctor as much as I do?

oOo

**Chapter 5: The Scientist**

oOo

She arrived at the funeral pyre where the body was still burning. It had taken such an effort to get to this point, through fire and ash, fighting impossible odds to get here. It had been chaos, back on her home planet, and then…the planet didn't exist, it had been destroyed by an enemy, even though that enemy was one of her own people. And then the time lock. Who had put that up? Probably the Shadow Proclomation, she surmised, to keep anyone from getting in or out of the great Time War; to keep anyone from changing anything, because it was such a crucial fixed point in time that if it changed in the slightest, it would mean eminent destruction for the entire universe.

But surely the matter of breaking out of a time lock wouldn't have everlasting consequences? And apparently it did not; for she was able to accomplish it, something no one else had been able to do, that she knew of. It was impossible, yet she had broken free from the lock and had been able to traverse the rest of the universe in her TARDIS. Yet, it took eons for her to be able to do so; even with all of her scientific skills, it had taken so long, but she had done it, and that is what counted. And here she was now, just a short distance away from the pyre where her enemy stood, watching her rival (and his enemy) burn.

The Rani waited. After eons of waiting to break free from the time lock, she had gained the kind of patience no one knew they had until it was practically forced out of them. And it was with this patience that she watched from the trees, watched the Doctor as he stood by the pyre, watching the Master burn. However the Master apparently died, it mattered not. For the Rani had a theory about the time ring he nearly always wore, and she wanted to put it to the test, to see if it would work. And if it did…then so much the better for her, and possibly the Master as well.

The Doctor waited at the pyre until the very last of the Master's remains had been finished off by the flickering tongues of fire. As soon as the last remain had been touched by the flames, the Doctor gave one last, sad gaze in the Master's direction, then departed. As soon as the tell-tale wheezings of his TARDIS faded away, the Rani approached the pyre and knelt down. With her hands, she sifted through the ashes until her fingers bumped into something metal, something small and round. She took hold of it and brought it up to her eye, blowing off the ashes, so that it shone in the meager sunlight.

"At last, we meet again, my rival," the Rani whispered to herself. She stared at the ring a moment longer, then without giving the pyre a second glance, hurried off into the wooded area where her TARDIS awaited her.

She already had the equipment ready; all she needed was to put her rival's ring into place, flick a few switches, then everything would take care of itself. The contraption she had set up looked like it had been jumbled up in a suitcase then put haphazardly back together, with no care as to which part went with what. But that's exactly how it was supposed to look, and that is how it needed to be in order for her experiment to work.

There was a small compartment in the middle of the contraption, which is where the Rani put the time ring, along with a flesh sample of the Master's she had procured so many years ago when the two had worked together against the Doctor. After she had placed the ring and sample inside, the Rani closed the door of the little compartment, stepped behind her TARDIS console, and flicked a switch. All she had to do then was wait as loud sounds and bright light began emanating forth. And then, nothing.

The Rani looked up from the console, curious. She smiled triumphantly. Her experiment had worked. She walked up to where a man's conscious, yet naked, body now stood, in a clear glass cube, large enough for one person. She tapped on the glass and the man turned to look at her, first with curiosity, then with some surprise.

"Welcome back, Koschei."

"Well well, look what the cat dragged in."

"You're one to talk," the Rani replied.

"Am I?"

Ignoring his question, the Rani continued. "I need your help. We don't have to like working with each other, but we did it once and we can do it again."

"Why do you need my help? Surely you're clever enough to do whatever you need to on your own," said the Master. "Don't get me wrong, reviving me was a great feat, I'm sure. But I am not going to help you with anything."

"You will once you find out what I'm after," said the Rani. "I know we're not fond of each other, but I think you'll find out our goals are much the same. Would you be willing to put aside our differences to work together?"

"Depends," said the Master. "What's the goal?"

"Destroying the Doctor."

"I'm listening."

"He destroyed our home planet," said the Rani simply. "Now I want to destroy him."

"Noble goal," the Master nodded. "All right, I'll help you." The Rani nodded. "But under one condition."

"Name it."

"First, get me some clothes."

oOo

"How did it go, Koschei?" the Rani asked.

"First off, stop calling me Koschei. I haven't used that name since the Academy," said the Master.

"Fine, _Master,_" the Rani huffed. "How did it go with the Doctor?"

"Depends what you mean by "go", really," said the Master. "Did it go well? Not really. Did it go poorly? More poorly than I had hoped."

"What happened?" asked the Rani.

The Master explained what had occurred at the Grove; he had only escaped from that cabin in the woods less than an hour ago. His hearts were still racing at the close encounter, but by now they were beginning to calm.

"I was so close," said the Master, regrettingly. "But he turned the tables, quite admirably, I'll admit."

"Don't admit it," the Rani said. "Let's just focus on bringing him down. We've had more setbacks than I'd prefer already. First there was Cadger and Davis, and then the Grove. We can't afford any more mistakes."

The Master and the Rani, who were currently inside the Rani's TARDIS, were both pacing. The Master had used a teleportation device he had stolen from the Valiant, and had used that to transport himself from the Grove to the control room of the TARDIS. Once there, the Rani could immediately tell that not all had gone according to plan.

"I realized _that,_ thanks," the Master retorted. He shivered, but not from the cold; it was more a shiver that one gets when they've had a close call. "Are we still in the vortex?"

The Rani looked at him. "Why? Did you want to go somewhere?"

"I'd prefer a walk on some uninhabited planet to gather my thoughts," said the Master. "I figure we can plan how to get to the Doctor while walking around in silence rather than have the noise from your console in the background. It's distracting."

"You're just trying to get away from me." The Rani pouted.

"Didn't we agree we'd work together? Didn't we both agree that we wanted the Doctor dead?"

"Yes."

"And until that happens, I will not try to get away from you," said the Master. "Because the only way for us to destroy the Doctor is to stick together. Although fat lot of good that's done us so far."

"Sorry," said the Rani unapologetically. "We'll just have to think of a better plan."

"Obviously," the Master replied. There was a moment of silence. "Well, are we going to land some place so we can walk around or not?"

"Fine," the Rani said with a roll of her eyes. She piloted her TARDIS to a planet on the opposite edge of the galaxy from earth; not too close so as to be suspect to the Doctor, but not so far away as to lose sight of their quarry, either. The TARDIS settled down with a small jolt, and came to a rest. "Well, here we are," said the Rani. "Happy?"

"Quite," said the Master in reply. He opened the doors to find himself in a forest of tall, elegant trees, each reaching toward the sky like the skyscrapers in Earth cities. Looking up, he saw a blue cloud-speckled sky with three suns. Just beyond the trees, not more than 100 feet, the Master saw what looked like a large meadow of grass with an earthen path leading to it through the trees. He listened for any sounds, but the only things he could hear were the sounds of the planet's animals going about their daily business; but as for inhabitants capable of speech and thought, there were none that he could sense.

"Is this suitable?" the Rani asked, exited the TARDIS behind him.

"It is," said the Master. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"


	7. The Brigadier

**Chapter 6: The Brigadier**

oOo

"_Wait, Doctor," said Jack suddenly. "Before Gallifrey was destroyed… was there anyone at all who had some kind of grudge against the Time Lords? Someone who had done something so bad that caused your leaders to excommunicate them? Because if there is someone, maybe they still harbor a grudge. And like you said, maybe this other person and the Master both want different things, but there's a common path they have to take in order to get there?"_

_The Doctor was silent._

"_Doctor?" Martha asked. "Can you think of anyone?"_

_After a moment, the Doctor nodded. Yes, there was someone he could think of. But he hoped he was wrong._

oOo

"I can," the Doctor said after a moment more.

"Who, then?" asked Donna.

"Her name is the Rani," the Doctor replied. "She's another Time Lord. Well, Time Lady, but same difference. Sort of." He sighed. "She's always had sort of a grudge or whatever you want to call it, against me. Although how she got out of the time lock I have no idea, because once the war was reaching an end, the Rani decided to come back and see if she could pick up anything she could to experiment on unnoticed."

"But Doctor… remember the Master said that someone had helped him get back into his own body. The time ring he had…"

He looked at Donna. "You're right."

"I'll bet it was the Rani who brought him back, then," said Jenny.

"More than likely," the Doctor replied. There was a pause. "I'm- we're- going to need help with this. More help than Torchwood can give- no offense, Jack."

"None taken," said Jack. "But where are you going to go for this help?"

"UNIT. Well, not technically UNIT. But I have an old friend, retired, but still does work for them occasionally. If anyone can help us find out more information about the imbalance, it's him."

"Who is it?" Jack asked.

"Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart." The Doctor explained how he had known the Brigadier back in his third and fourth regenerations at UNIT, and how the two had first met when the Doctor was exiled on Earth by the Time Lords.

"Sounds like a sharp enough guy," Jack commented.

"He is," said the Doctor. "If there's anyone I can trust besides you lot and my other companions, it's him."

"Then you should get going," said Martha. "Best to make contact as soon as possible, so we can figure this whole thing out."

"You make it sound like I'm going to greet Martians on their first visit to this planet of yours," the Doctor said, amused. "And for your information, yes, I have. Remember Roswell? Those were Martians."

Everyone looked at him, some incredulously.

"What?" exclaimed the Doctor. "They were. I was there. Of course, the US government thought the Martians wanted to invade, but I knew better. So as soon as they landed, I snuck out to Roswell, New Mexico, evaded security, and greeted the Martians myself. I stayed the night with them; let me tell you, if you think the French know how to party, just wait til you meet the Martians.'

"Let me guess what happened," said Jack. "The US showed up the next morning, guns at the ready, to take out the Martians?"

The Doctor nodded. "It's natural they'd be intimidated, so I tried to reason with them on the Martian's behalf. Didn't work. So I convince the Martians to make replicas of themselves which they threw out their ship as they left the earth, along with shrapnel to make the US government think they'd won and destroyed the Martians."

"Wait…" said Martha. "I heard it was some kind of crashed weather balloon?"

"Well, the ship did look like a weather balloon. And that's what the US government let the people believe. No sense letting the people know that Martians had supposedly come to invade."

"Incredible."

"Isn't it?" said the Doctor, grinning like a child.

"How'd you get away from the Roswell site?" Mickey asked.

"I had my TARDIS," said the Doctor. "I parked it behind some top-secret buildings. One of the guards used it was an outhouse. And let me tell you, when I found him outside, peeing onto it…"

"But there were witnesses who saw the Martian's ship for what really was," said Donna.

"They were intimidated into silence," said Jack, shaking his head.

"Sad," said Donna.

"I know," Jack agreed. There was a pause. "Anyway, it's nice having story time and all, but you three should probably get going. Let us know what you find, will you?"

"Will do, Captain," said the Doctor. He shook Jack's hand. "Come along, my wenches!"

"Oi! Watch it, space man!"

Jenny and the others laughed.

"Come along, Donna, love," the Doctor amended. "You two, female clone of mine."

"Hey! I'm an independent, free-thinking person!"

"Right you are," said the Doctor. He was about to say something else when Martha interrupted.

"Best not to dig yourself into that hole any deeper," she said.

"Excellent idea," said the Doctor. "Come along, my Time Ladies."

"That's better," said Donna. Jenny agreed.

The three said one last goodbye to the Torchwood team and made their way to the TARDIS. As soon as they got inside, Donna threatened to smack the Doctor if he called her a wench ever again, to which the Doctor meekly apologized.

"Being a wench has its benefits." He muttered under his breath. Jenny heard him and laughed. The Doctor closed the TARDIS doors as soon as the three of them were inside and took the ship into the vortex. "Now, where does he live?"

"You don't know where the Brigadier lives?"

"Now, Donna, you know me. I'm very clever, and even if I don't know where someone lives, I can find them. Especially if they've traveled in the TARDIS before."

"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.

"Back in my fifth life- at least, I think it was my fifth- the Brigadier took a little trip in my TARDIS. It's a long story, but in a nutshell, there were two Brigadiers, one from the past and one from the present, both together on the same ship, run by Mawdryn. Nice chap. He and his men wanted me to sacrifice myself so they could die. Right when I was about to, the two Brigadiers met and caused a discharge of temporal energy, which gave Mawdryn and his mates what they wanted while I got to live."

"Sounds like you lead an interesting life, Doctor," Donna commented.

"You're just realizing this now?" Jenny asked.

Donna rolled her eyes while the Doctor laughed. "So, did you take the Brigadier in your TARDIS back to UNIT?"

The Doctor shook his head. "He'd retired by then. I took him back to the school where he was teaching. He still does work for UNIT occasionally, though."

"Ah. So the artron energy is what you'll use to track him, since everyone who travels with you in the TARDIS gets it," said Donna.

"Right," said the Doctor. "I'm taking us directly to his home."

"Bit rude, dropping in without calling, eh, Doctor?"

"Oh, he won't mind; like I mentioned earlier, he's an old friend."

Smiling at Donna and Jenny, the Doctor raced around the console, pressing all the right buttons and twiddling the right dials that would take him to his old friend's house.

The TARDIS landed, and the Doctor, Donna, and Jenna stepped out and took a look at their surroundings. The had landed in what appeared to be an old basement cellar. There was dirt for the floor and walls made of stone; the ceiling was of wood, which made sense considering it was a basement and there was a house on top of it. All the walls were lined with shelves filled with food. There was a wine rack in one corner, filled with dusty bottles, and in another corner was a staircase leading up to what the Doctor assumed would be the kitchen.

"Shall we?" The Doctor asked, not necessarily looking for a response. He made his way toward the staircase, which creaked as he set foot upon it, followed by the others. Indeed, he was correct, as he found when he got to the top: the stairs did lead to the kitchen.

There was a door that lead from the stairs to the kitchen, but it had already been open, allowing sunlight to pour into the cellar. The Doctor, Donna, and Jenny looked around the spacious kitchen. There were windows on two sides, allowing sunlight to beam in, casting everything in a warm early afternoon glow. Through the windows, they could see a garden with flowers, a small vegetable patch, and two trees with a hammock tied between them. The kitchen door, leading to the outside, was open, and through it, the Doctor, Donna, and Jenny could see an old man with grey hair bent over a shrubbery with a pair of clippers.

"Is that him?" Jenny asked, standing on tiptoe for a brief second to get a better glimpse. "The Brigadier?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes," he said. "It's been a couple regenerations since he's seen me, so he's not going to recognize me at first."

"So what are you going to do when he finds us in here?"

"Oh, don't worry; you know me, always great at improvising."

"Doctor," said Donna sternly.

"Don't worry, Donna, we'll manage," said the Doctor. "Everything is going to turn out fine, trust me."

"Here he comes," interrupted Jenny.

The Brigadier came back to the house, clippers in hand. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he noticed the Doctor and his two companions standing there, at the opposite side of the room. He stopped and glared at them.

Waving the clippers, he said, "I don't know who you are, but if you don't get out of my house in ten seconds, I'm calling the police!"

"Look, I can explain!" said the Doctor.

"Yes, I'd like an explanation," glared the Brigadier. "You tell me how you got in here, _then_ you get ten seconds to vacate before I call the police, you hear me? And don't even think of trying to rob me, or I'll set my dogs after you."

"We're not going to robe you, Brigadier; that's the last thing on our minds."

"Oh?" The Brigadier narrowed his eyes. "And how do you know who I am?"

"Brigadier, it's me, the Doctor; we met at UNIT when I was in my third life, remember? When the Time Lords had exiled me to Earth. Remember Mawdryn, in my fifth life? You met an earlier version of yourself."

The Brigadier stared at the Doctor for a moment more, then recognition came to him, and a realization that the intruder was his old friend. "Doctor!" He realized he still held the clippers and set them down on the counter. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you; thought you were intruders."

"We are, in a way," muttered Donna. She quited down when the Doctor gave her a look; she stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation.

"It's good to see you," said the Doctor.

"And you," replied the Brigadier. "It's been too long! You should've dropped in sooner; I could've made lunch arrangements for us all."

"Sorry," said the Doctor. "I've been…busy."

"Yes, yes," said the Brigadier. He took a deep breath, then sighed happily. "Well, what brings you here, to my home?"


	8. An Invitation

**Chapter 7: An Invitation**

oOo

"_It's good to see you," said the Doctor._

"_And you," replied the Brigadier. "It's been too long! You should've dropped in sooner; I could've made lunch arrangements for us all."_

"_Sorry," said the Doctor. "I've been…busy."_

"_Yes, yes," said the Brigadier. He took a deep breath, then sighed happily. "Well, what brings you here, to my home?"_

oOo

"We need your help," said the Doctor.

"Gladly," said the Brigadier. "But first, I think introductions would be in order..?"

The Doctor glanced at Donna and Jenny. "Oh, right, sorry."

"You just _forgot_?" Donna glared at him.

"Sorry," said the Doctor.

"It's all right, Dad," Jenny cheerfully replied.

"Dad?" the Brigadier asked in confusion.

"Jenny's technically my clone, well, not really. There was this machine on a distant planet that took my tissue sample and made her out of it. So I'm biologically her mother and father," the Doctor explained.

"Interesting," said the Brigadier. "And who's this other lovely lady with you? I assume she's not from Gallifrey? Sarah Jane told me the situation with your home planet."

The Doctor nodded grimly. "She's from Earth, but she's a Time Lady now. Both her and Jenny. Long story, though, I don't have time to get into it."

"I'm Donna," said Donna. "Since he's forgot his manners."

"Donna," the Doctor groaned.

"Sorry," said Donna, not meaning it at all.

"Anyway," said the Doctor, drawing it out, "Brigadier…"

The Brigadier, who had been watching the exchange with something akin to fascination, was broken from his thoughts. He turned to the Doctor. "Yes, Doctor?"

"Is there someplace we can go to chat?" the Doctor asked, then added quickly, "Not that this kitchen of yours isn't lovely."

"Hm? Oh, right, right. We can go into the sitting room, if you prefer," said the Brigadier. "More comfortable."

"Thank you," said the Doctor.

The Brigadier led his houseguests out of the kitchen and a short distance down a narrow hallway. He stopped in the middle of the hall and turned, through an open doorway, into what looked like a very comfortable sitting room. The walls were painted pale red and the carpet was a creamy-beige. On one wall was a shelf with bottles and an assortment of wine glasses. There were two brown sofas facing each other, and at one end of the pair was a small table upon which were magazines and some coasters.

"Make yourselves at home," said the Brigadier. "Can I offer you three anything to drink?"

The Doctor, Jenny, and Donna had just seated themselves; Donna and the Doctor were on one sofa while Jenny sat opposite them.

"No, thank you," said the Doctor. "I don't mean to be rude, but we're in a hurry."

"Right, of course," said the Brigadier. He made his way to the sofas and sat down beside Jenny. "Well, what business of yours causes you to grace me with your presence?"

"You see, it's like this," Donna began. She began telling the Brigadier what had transpired, starting from when she, the Doctor, and Jenny, had been on Barcelona. She gave the Brigadier a quick overview of what happened, but was interrupted when she reached the part when the group had met Earl's coworkers.

"Donna," said the Doctor. "Donna?"

Donna paused. "Yeah?"

"I don't think he needs to hear the unnecessary details. Sorry."

Donna rolled her eyes. "You tell him then, space man."

"I will, thank you," said the Doctor. He started from where Donna had left off, thus earning himself a very dirty look. Ignoring Donna's current facial expression, the Doctor told the Brigadier about how they had received the phone call from Torchwood. He began to give a brief overview of what Torchwood was when he was stopped.

"I know what Torchwood is, Doctor; I may be old, but I'm not uninformed," said the Brigadier.

"Really?" the Doctor inquired curiously. "I didn't think UNIT knew about it."

"Most don't" said the Brigadier. "However, I was contacted by your friend, Captain Jack Harkness a few years ago regarding a classified matter."

"But he acted like he never met you," said Donna.

"I asked him to act like that," said the Brigadier simply. "I know much about the goings on in this country related to alien life, and I wanted as few people as possible to know what I know. And various individuals with nefarious purposes have inquired in the past about them and me. So I asked Jack to keep quiet about my involvement with Torchwood for my safety. I just didn't think he'd keep it from you."

"Well, it shows he's a trustworthy individual," said the Doctor.

"A good looking one, too."

"Jenny, don't," said the Doctor.

"What?"

"Just…don't."

Jenny rolled her eyes and crossed her legs.

"Anyway," said the Doctor. "So we received the call from Jack asking us to come to Torchwood as soon as possible." The Doctor told his old friend all that had happened afterward, from their arrival at Torchwood to the discussion of what was going on with the imbalance in time, to his own decision to contact his old friend, the Brigadier.

"And so here you are," said the Brigadier at last, once the Doctor had finished explaining everything. "So what is it you want from me, exactly? I assume you didn't come just to vent your troubles."

"No, I didn't," said the Doctor. "I came to ask if you wanted to come along. We go way back, you and I, and you've never had a proper trip in the TARDIS; and I'm not counting that Mawdryn bloke."

The Brigadier thought for a moment. "I'm getting old, Doctor. I don't have many years left in me for big adventures."

"But surely you have time for just one more?" The Doctor cajoled. "One trip in the TARDIS. Just one last adventure, then you can live out the rest of your years in peace. Please, Brigadier?"

The Doctor looked at his old friend pleadingly, yet with also a grin on his face, as though he knew what the Brigadier was going to decide.

"Given that I do what I do, I doubt my last years are going to be that peaceful anyway, especially with Sarah Jane coming to me every so often to consult on alien matters." One might have thought the Brigadier was angry, but upon closer inspection, they would have seen the smile on his face and sparkle in his eyes.

"So are you going to come with us?" Jenny asked eagerly.

"I don't see why not," the Brigadier replied. "I'd be glad to help you with your investigation."

"Excellent," said the Doctor, getting up. "Well then, let's get going!"

The Brigadier gave the Doctor an odd look. "Shouldn't I lock up first? Don't want intruders while I'm gone."

"You don't need to," said the Doctor. "I can take you back here five minutes after you left."

Donna tilted her head and gave the Doctor a look. "You're being rude, space man."

The Doctor looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"By dismissing how he feels like you just did," Donna replied.

"Exactly," piped in Jenny.

"Oi! Don't you two go ganging up on me!" He stared at the women for a moment, then sighed and ran his fingers though his hair. "Blimey; oh all right. Sorry, Brigadier."

"Not a problem, Doctor," the Brigadier replied. "So I'll just lock up then and join you."

"Yes; I parked the TARDIS in your cellar."

"Right," said the Brigadier. He got up and, followed by his three guests, left the sitting room and made his way back to the kitchen. After locking up and making sure everything was in order, the Brigadier followed Donna, Jenny, and the Doctor down into the cellar, where the TARDIS was clearly visible after one stepped over the threshold.

"Been a while since you've seen this old girl, eh Brigadier?"

"Quite, Doctor," the Brigadier answered. He smiled as he entered the TARDIS; it had been such a long time since he was last inside, he could hardly believe it. But here he was.


End file.
